Editing Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (section)

==Conquest==
In the 4th century BC, [[Halicarnassus]] was the capital of the small regional kingdom of [[Caria]], within the [[Achaemenid Empire]] on the western coast of [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]].

In 377&nbsp;BC, the nominal ruler of the region, [[Hecatomnus]] of [[Milas]], died and left control of the kingdom to his son, Mausolus. Hecatomnus, a local [[dynast]] under the Persians, took control of several of the neighboring cities and districts. After Artemisia and Mausolus, he had several other daughters and sons: [[Ada of Caria|Ada]] (adoptive mother of [[Alexander the Great]]), [[Idrieus]], and [[Pixodarus of Caria|Pixodarus]]. Mausolus extended his territory as far as the southwest coast of Anatolia, invading, in particular, the territory of [[Lycia]], remarkable for its numerous monumental tombs such as the [[Tombs at Xanthos]], from which he took his inspiration for his mausoleum.<ref name=André-Salvini />

Artemisia and Mausolus ruled from Halicarnassus over the surrounding territory for 24 years. Mausolus, although descended from local people, spoke [[Ancient Greek language|Greek]] and admired the Greek way of life and government. He founded many cities of Greek design along the coast and encouraged Greek democratic traditions.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}}

[[File:Mausolus portrait.jpg|thumb|[[Mausolus]] (casting from the [[Pushkin Museum]]).]]
Mausolus decided to build a new capital, one as safe from capture as it was magnificent to be seen. He chose the city of Halicarnassus. Artemisia and Mausolus spent huge amounts of tax money to embellish the city. They commissioned statues, temples and buildings of gleaming [[marble]]. In 353&nbsp;BC, Mausolus died, leaving Artemisia to rule alone. As the Persian satrap, and as the Hecatomnid dynast, Mausolus had planned for himself an elaborate tomb. When he died the project was continued by his siblings. The tomb became so famous that Mausolus's name is now the [[:wikt:eponym|eponym]] for all stately tombs, in the word ''mausoleum''.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}

Artemisia lived for only two years after the death of her husband. The [[urn]]s with their ashes were placed in the yet unfinished tomb. As a form of [[sacrifice]], the bodies of a large number of dead animals were placed on the stairs leading to the tomb, and then the stairs were filled with stones and rubble, sealing the access. According to the historian [[Pliny the Elder]], the craftsmen decided to stay and finish the work after the death of their patron "considering that it was at once a memorial of his own fame and of the sculptor<nowiki>'s art''</nowiki>.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}